Telemedicine apps aim to replace nonemergency visits

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When Vivek Sodera, 30, awoke with a swollen knee after a night out with friends, he knew he should probably see a doctor. Problem was, “I couldn’t move from my couch, and I didn’t want to pay for cabs to and from the hospital,” says the San Francisco–based entrepreneur.

So Sodera grabbed his phone and opened Doctor on Demand, a new app that allows users to video-chat with doctors to get medical help in real time. …